[development] Bridging PHP to Java or C++?

[Karoly Negyesi]

> My question to the Drupal community is: which is easier to bridge (Java  
> or
> C++) to PHP (and specifically to Drupal)?

Writng a PHP extension is probably easier in C. Insofar, I have not seen  
any Java extension.

> My vote is for Java, as I can distribute the (GPL'd) bytecode more easily
> than pre-compiled C++ binaries.

and you make Java mandatory on the server. That's not a good idea.

> On a more general note, do any modules currently require php extensions  
> that
> are not in PEAR? If so, how do they handle getting the module compiled  
> and
> installed.

Very few if any module require any PHP extension which is not in the PHP  
core. Some reuqire a few scripts that are in PEAR like simpletest, but  
that's rare. But scripts are not extensions.

Regards

NK